House Bill No. by Representative Wyble aims to improve early childhood care and education in Louisiana by consolidating the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission with the Advisory Council on Early Childhood Care and Education. The bill proposes significant changes to the commission's membership, expanding it to include representatives from Head Start programs, child advocacy organizations, local school superintendents, and parents of children in publicly funded early learning centers. It also introduces new responsibilities for the commission, such as providing reports to the state Department of Education and developing a statewide vision for early childhood education. The legislation repeals the statutory authority for the Advisory Council, transferring its responsibilities to the commission to enhance coordination among early childhood programs.

Additionally, the bill designates the commission as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, aligning it with federal guidelines under the Head Start Act. It mandates that the state Department of Education consult with the commission before adopting rules related to early learning centers and requires quarterly meetings of the commission, which can now establish work groups to address specific issues. The commission will receive regular updates on the implementation of its recommendations and will be provided with quarterly and annual reports from the state Department of Education on various aspects of early childhood programs. The bill will take effect upon the governor's signature or after the designated period for bills to become law without signature.

Statutes affected:
HB1146 Original: 17:101(C)(1)
HB1146 Engrossed: 17:101(C)(1)
HB1146 Reengrossed: 17:101(C)
HB1146 Enrolled: 17:101(C)